Talking E-book

ABSTRACT

There is provided an Ebook. The Ebook includes a memory device, an MP3 decoder, and at least one speaker. The memory device stores files. The files include at least one MP3 file. The MP3 decoder decodes the MP3 file to output text. The at least one speaker audibly reproduces the text.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is related to the applications, Attorney DocketNumbers IU010084, IU010085, and IU010086, respectively entitled“Text-To-Speech (TTS) for Hand-Held Devices”, “Voice Command and VoiceRecognition for Hand-Held Devices”, and “Mixing Music and Text-To-Speech(TTS) for Hand-Held Devices”, which are commonly assigned andconcurrently filed herewith, and the disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention generally relates to electronic books(Ebooks) and, more particularly, to a talking Ebook.

[0004] 2. Background of the Invention

[0005] An electronic book (also referred to as an “Ebook”) is anelectronic version of a traditional print book (or other printedmaterial such as, for example, a magazine, newspaper, and so forth) thatcan be read by using a personal computer or by using an Ebook reader.Unlike PCs or handheld computers, Ebook readers deliver a readingexperience comparable to traditional paper books, while adding powerfulelectronic features for note taking, fast navigation, and key wordsearches. However, such actions, irrespective of whether or not they areperformed on a PC, handheld computer, or Ebook reader, generally requirethe user to read the text from a display. Thus, the use of an Ebookgenerally requires the user to focus his or her visual attention on adisplay to read the text content (e.g., book, magazine, newspaper, andso forth) of the Ebook.

[0006] Accordingly, it would be desirable and highly advantageous tohave an Ebook that allows a user to assimilate content without having tolook at a display.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The problems stated above, as well as other related problems ofthe prior art, are solved by the present invention, a talking Ebook.

[0008] According to an aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an Ebook. The Ebook comprises a memory device, an MP3 decoder,and at least one speaker. The memory device stores files. The filesinclude at least one MP3 file. The MP3 decoder decodes the MP3 file tooutput text. The at least one speaker audibly reproduces the text.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a method for using an Ebook. At least one MP3 file is stored inthe Ebook. The at least one MP3 file includes data for audiblyreproducing text. The MP3 file is decoded to output the text. The textis audibly reproduced.

[0010] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptionof preferred embodiments, which is to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system 100 towhich the present invention may be applied, according to an illustrativeembodiment of the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an Ebook 200, according toan illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for using a talkingEbook, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;and

[0014]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram further illustrating steps 330 and 340 ofthe method of FIG. 3, according to an illustrative embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention is directed to a talking Ebook. It is to beunderstood that the present invention may be implemented in variousforms of hardware, software, firmware, special purpose processors, or acombination thereof. Preferably, the present invention is implemented asa combination of hardware and software. Moreover, the software ispreferably implemented as an application program tangibly embodied on aprogram storage device. The application program may be uploaded to, andexecuted by, a machine comprising any suitable architecture. Preferably,the machine is implemented on a computer platform having hardware suchas one or more central processing units (CPU), a random access memory(RAM), and input/output (I/O) interface(s). The computer platform alsoincludes an operating system and microinstruction code. The variousprocesses and functions described herein may either be part of themicroinstruction code or part of the application program (or acombination thereof) which is executed via the operating system. Inaddition, various other peripheral devices may be connected to thecomputer platform such as an additional data storage device and aprinting device.

[0016] It is to be further understood that, because some of theconstituent system components and method steps depicted in theaccompanying Figures are preferably implemented in software, the actualconnections between the system components (or the process steps) maydiffer depending upon the manner in which the present invention isprogrammed. Given the teachings herein, one of ordinary skill in therelated art will be able to contemplate these and similarimplementations or configurations of the present invention.

[0017]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system 100 towhich the present invention may be applied, according to an illustrativeembodiment of the present invention. The computer processing system 100includes at least one processor (CPU) 102 operatively coupled to othercomponents via a system bus 104. A read only memory (ROM) 106, a randomaccess memory (RAM) 108, a display adapter 110, an I/O adapter 112, anda user interface adapter 114 are operatively coupled to the system bus104.

[0018] A display device 116 is operatively coupled to system bus 104 bydisplay adapter 110. A disk storage device (e.g., a magnetic or opticaldisk storage device) 118 is operatively coupled to system bus 104 by I/Oadapter 112.

[0019] A mouse 120 and keypad 122 are operatively coupled to system bus104 by user interface adapter 114. The mouse 120 and keypad 122 are usedto input and output information to and from system 100. It is to beappreciated that keypad 122 may be a standard keyboard (e.g., qwertytype) or may be a specialized keyboard or keypad having an abbreviatedkey set.

[0020] The computer system 100 further includes an MP3 decoder 194, aspeaker 196, and a matching device 199.

[0021]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an Ebook 200, according toan illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The Ebook 200includes the following elements interconnected by bus 201: at least onememory device (hereinafter “memory device” 230); at least one processor(hereinafter “processor” 240); a user input device 250 (e.g., keyboard,keypad, touch sensitive device, and/or remote control); a display 260;an MP3 decoder 270; a speaker 290, and a matching device 299. As isknown, the MP3 decoder 270 and the speaker 290 are used to playback MP3files. The matching device 299 may also be optionally used to playbackMP3 files as described below. Given the teachings of the presentinvention provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the related art willcontemplate these and various other configurations of the computersystem 100 and Ebook 200 respectively shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, whilemaintaining the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is to beappreciated that as used herein the term “Ebook” refers to either astandalone Ebook device (e.g., Ebook 200) or an Ebook included in acomputer system (e.g., computer system 100).

[0022]FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for using a talkingEbook, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] One or more files (hereinafter “files”), including at least oneMP3 file (hereinafter “MP3 file”), are input into the Ebook (step 310).The MP3 file includes data corresponding to text that is to bereproduced audibly. Preferably, the one or more files, in addition toincluding the MP3 file, also include at least one other file(hereinafter “non-MP3 file”) having the same text as that to be audiblyreproduced from the MP3 file; however, the text of the non-MP3 file isreproduced visually. The files may be provided via a memory device(e.g., floppy disk, compact disk, flash memory, and so forth),downloaded from the Internet, and so forth. The files are then stored inthe Ebook (step 320).

[0024] Optionally, a choice is provided to a user of the Ebook to selectbetween a strictly visual mode where the text is displayed on thedisplay, a strictly audio mode where the text is output by the MP3decoder and audibly reproduced by the speaker, and a combinedvisual-audio mode where the text is displayed on the display andsimultaneously output by the MP3 decoder and audibly reproduced by thespeaker (step 325). As is evident to one of ordinary skill in therelated art, the strictly visual mode corresponds to the non-MP3 file,the strictly audio mode corresponds to the MP3 file, and the combinedvisual-audio mode corresponds to both the non-MP3 file and the MP3 file.

[0025] A command is received by the Ebook (step 330). For the purposesof illustrating the present invention, it is presumed that the commandcorresponds to at least a playback of the MP3 file. Thus, the commandmay correspond to, for example, the visual mode or the visual-audio modeoptionally provided at step 325, or to a playback of the MP3 file thatis independent of the modes provided at step 325.

[0026] The MP3 file is decoded and the text corresponding thereto isaudibly reproduced in response to the command (step 340). Accordingly,the Ebook user may assimilate content from the Ebook without having tolook at a display. It is to be appreciated that step 340 may alsoinclude the step of displaying the text included in the non-MP3 fileconcurrently with the audible reproduction of the text from the MP3 file(step 340 a). For example, the text would be both audibly and visuallyreproduced if the command received at step 335 corresponded to thecombined visual-audio mode.

[0027]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram further illustrating steps 330 and 340 ofthe method of FIG. 3, according to an illustrative embodiment of thepresent invention. According to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4,the MP3 file includes a header portion that, in turn, includes pagenumbers. The page numbers included in the header of the MP3 file arematched to corresponding page numbers in the non-MP3 file as describedimmediately hereinafter.

[0028] A command is received from a user of the Ebook that correspondsto a playback of the MP3 file (step 410). It is then determined whetherthe text corresponding to the MP3 file is already being reproducedvisually from the non-MP3 file (step 420). If not, then the MP3 file isdecoded and audibly reproduced (step 430). Otherwise, a match isdetermined between the page number of the non-MP3 file that is currentlybeing visually reproduced and a corresponding page number of the MP-3file (step 440). The MP3 file is then decoded and audibly reproducedstarting at the same page as the non-MP3 file (step 450). This allows auser to seamlessly continue assimilating content from the Ebook firstvisually and then audibly. It is to be appreciated that step 430 may beperformed to decode and audibly reproduce the text at the beginning ofthe text, at a point in the text where the audible reproduction waspreviously ended, or at any other point.

[0029] A user input may be received at any time during a visual and/oraudible reproduction of the text (step 460). The user input maycorrespond to disabling and/or enabling any one of the visual and/oraudio reproduction. The user input is acted upon to control thereproduction of the text by the Ebook (step 470). While the precedingdescription has matched an MP3 file to a non-MP3 file based on pagenumbers, one of ordinary skill in the related art will contemplate thisand various other ways in which to correlate an MP3 file and a non-MP3file, while maintaining the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0030] Although the illustrative embodiments have been described hereinwith reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood thatthe present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, andthat various other changes and modifications may be affected therein byone skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of theinvention. All such changes and modifications are intended to beincluded within the scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An Ebook, comprising: a memory device for storingfiles, the files including at least one MP3 file; an MP3 decoder fordecoding the MP3 file to output text; and at least one speaker foraudibly reproducing the text.
 2. The Ebook of claim 1, furthercomprising a display for displaying the text, and wherein a choice isprovided to a user of the Ebook to select between a strictly visual modewhere the text is displayed on the display, a strictly audio mode wherethe text is output by said MP3 decoder and audibly reproduced by saidspeaker, and a combined visual-audio mode where the text is displayed onthe display and simultaneously output by said MP3 decoder and audiblyreproduced by said speaker.
 3. The Ebook of claim 1, further comprisinga display for visually reproducing the text from a non-MP3 file.
 4. TheEbook of claim 3, further comprising a matching device for matching acurrent page of the non-MP3 file with a corresponding page of the MP3file so that a current displaying of the text from the non-MP3 file canbe continued by an audible reproduction of the text from the MP3 file.5. The Ebook of claim 1, further comprising a matching device formatching a current page of a non-MP3 file with a corresponding page ofthe MP3 file when the text is being currently displayed from the non-MP3file, and wherein said MP3 decoder begins decoding the text at thecorresponding page of the MP3 file.
 6. A method for using an Ebook,comprising the steps of: storing at least one MP3 file in the Ebook, theat least one MP3 file including data for audibly reproducing text;decoding the MP3 file to output the text; and audibly reproducing thetext.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said method further comprisesthe steps of: providing to a user of the Ebook a choice between astrictly visual mode where the text is visually reproduced, a strictlyaudio mode where the text is audibly reproduced, and a combinedvisual-audio mode where the text is both visually reproduced and audiblyreproduced; and operating the Ebook in accordance with the choice of theuser.
 8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of visuallyreproducing the text from a non-MP3 file.
 9. The method of claim 8,further comprising the step of matching a current page of the non-MP3file with a corresponding page of the MP3 file so that a currentdisplaying of the text from the non-MP3 file can be continued by anaudible reproduction of the text from the MP3 file.
 10. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising the step of inserting page numbers in aheader of the MP3 file so as to correlate the page numbers withcorresponding page numbers in the non-MP3 file.
 11. The method of claim6, further comprising the steps of: determining whether the text isbeing currently displayed from a non-MP3 file; and matching a currentpage of the non-MP3 file with a corresponding page of the MP3 file whenthe text is being currently displayed from the non-MP3 file; whereinsaid decoding step is controlled to begin decoding the text at thecorresponding page of the MP3 file.
 12. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising the step of inserting page numbers in a header of the MP3file, the page numbers being associated with corresponding pages in anon-MP3 file.